Legislative Activity

The "No Subsidies for Gender Transition Procedures Act" aims to amend the Internal Revenue Code and the Social Security Act to ensure that medical expense tax deductions, federal Medicaid, Children's Health Insurance Program, and Medicare funding are not used for gender transition procedures. It defines gender transition procedures and sets specific exclusions for certain medical conditions and treatments. The bill also excludes gender transition procedures from being considered essential health benefits under the Affordable Care Act.

The "Farmer First Fuel Incentives Act" modifies the clean fuel production credit to require that qualifying fuels are derived from feedstocks grown in the U.S. and extends the credit through 2034. It also changes how emissions rates are determined by excluding indirect land use changes and refines the emissions factor for the credit. These changes aim to incentivize the use of domestically produced agricultural products for clean fuel production.

The "Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program Improvement Act of 2025" amends the Food Security Act of 1985 to improve the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP). It allows landowners more flexibility in allocating annual payments, sets specific payment rates for water rights retirement and dryland agricultural use agreements, and mandates agreements to protect water resources on agricultural land. Additionally, the bill exempts CREP rental payments from payment limitations.

The "SHORT Act" seeks to amend federal laws regarding short-barreled rifles and shotguns by removing them from the purview of the National Firearms Act, thereby eliminating specific taxes, registration requirements, and restrictions on interstate commerce related to these weapons, and requiring the destruction of existing related records. The bill also clarifies that federal compliance with possessing these weapons satisfies any corresponding state or local requirements. It also preempts state and local governments from enforcing certain laws that tax, mark, record, or register these weapons.

The "Defining Male and Female Act of 2025" defines "sex" as a person's biological classification (male or female) at conception and provides definitions for related terms like "male," "female," "boy," "girl," "man," and "woman" to be used in interpreting federal laws and regulations. It specifies that "gender identity" will not be recognized by the federal government as a replacement for biological sex.

The Dietary Guidelines Reform Act of 2025 amends the National Nutrition Monitoring and Related Research Act of 1990, updating the process for establishing dietary guidelines. It mandates that guidelines be based on strong scientific evidence, updated at least every 10 years, and focused on specific, health-related questions. The act also establishes an Independent Advisory Board to inform the guidelines and requires disclosure of conflicts of interest for committee members, allocating \$5 million annually for these activities.

The "Connecting Small Businesses with Career and Technical Education Graduates Act" aims to connect small businesses with career and technical education graduates. It amends the Small Business Act to include career and technical education and expands the role of Small Business Development Centers and Women's Business Centers. These centers will now assist small businesses in hiring graduates from career and technical education programs and support graduates in starting their own businesses.

The "End Taxpayer Funding of Gender Experimentation Act of 2025" prohibits the use of federal funds for gender transition procedures and health benefits coverage that includes such procedures, while allowing individuals and entities to purchase separate coverage with non-federal funds. It clarifies that premium tax credits and cost-sharing reductions under the Affordable Care Act cannot be used for health plans covering gender transition procedures. The bill defines key terms like "gender transition procedure" and provides specific exclusions, such as treatments for verifiable disorders of sex development or procedures necessary to prevent imminent death. This act aims to ensure that federal taxpayer dollars are not used to fund gender transition interventions, while not restricting access to these procedures when paid for with non-federal funds.

The HELP Copays Act ensures that financial assistance from non-profits and drug manufacturers counts towards a person's deductible, coinsurance, and copay limits for health insurance plans. Beginning in 2026, this includes a "safe harbor" provision to protect high-deductible health plans. These changes apply to specialty drugs and those subject to utilization management, while still allowing the use of tools like prior authorization. The Act is effective for health plans starting on or after January 1, 2026.

The "Dangerous Viral Gain of Function Research Moratorium Act" prohibits federal research grants to higher education institutions or research institutes that conduct gain-of-function research on certain organisms. Gain-of-function research is defined as research that genetically alters an organism to change or enhance its biological functions, potentially increasing infectivity, transmissibility, or pathogenicity. This prohibition extends to research that could pose a threat to national security, public safety, or the health of humans, animals, or livestock. The specified organisms include influenza viruses, coronaviruses, agents or toxins on the Select Agents and Toxins List, or any synthetic construct of such.

The "Protecting American Agriculture from Foreign Adversaries Act of 2025" adds the Secretary of Agriculture to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States to address transactions involving agricultural land, biotechnology, and industry. It mandates the Committee to review agricultural land transactions involving foreign entities from countries of concern like China, North Korea, Russia, and Iran, as identified by the Secretary of Agriculture. This ensures scrutiny of foreign investments in U.S. agriculture that could pose national security risks. The requirements terminate for a covered country once it is removed from the list of foreign adversaries.

The "One Flag for All Act" generally prohibits the display of flags other than the United States flag on the exterior and publicly accessible areas of federal buildings, military installations, and U.S. embassies. It includes exceptions for flags such as the POW/MIA flag, flags of visiting diplomats, state flags displayed by Members of Congress, flags representing branches of the Armed Forces, flags of historical significance, and flags representing religious organizations or churches during religious events at military installations. Additional exceptions are made for flags representing public safety, special national observances, a Federal agency, an Indian Tribe, and the State, territory, county, city, or local jurisdiction where the covered public building is located.

This joint resolution seeks to nullify the Environmental Protection Agency's rule concerning the phasedown of hydrofluorocarbons, specifically targeting the management of certain hydrofluorocarbons and their substitutes as outlined in the American Innovation and Manufacturing Act of 2020. By disapproving the rule, the resolution aims to prevent its enforcement and implementation.

The Small Business Regulatory Reduction Act aims to reduce the financial burden of federal regulations on small businesses. Starting in 2026, the Small Business Administration's rulemaking costs to small businesses will be capped at $0. The Administrator of the Small Business Administration must submit annual reports to Congress identifying all federal rules impacting small businesses. This act will be implemented without authorizing any additional funding.

The "Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act of 2025" allows schools to offer a wider variety of milk options, including whole milk (both flavored and unflavored, organic and non-organic), reduced-fat, low-fat, fat-free, and lactose-free milk. It also allows for specific milk types to be requested by a physician, parent, or guardian. Furthermore, the bill specifies that milk fat will not be considered as saturated fat when measuring compliance with saturated fat content regulations for school meals.

This bill removes the lesser prairie-chicken from the list of threatened and endangered species and prohibits any future listing under the Endangered Species Act.

The "Increased TSP Access Act of 2025" amends the Food Security Act of 1985 to improve the delivery of technical assistance to agricultural producers. It mandates the Secretary to certify third-party providers through various entities, including non-Federal entities and State agencies, to ensure timely and expert conservation assistance. The Act streamlines the certification process for providers with specialty certifications and requires fair payment for their services. Additionally, it directs the Secretary to increase transparency by providing public information on the utilization and impact of third-party providers.